We gathered up sword, shield and spear.

The 2022 Bloggerama called; time to ride.

New blood and thunder for a new-born year.

Another Bloggerama, another look back with pride.

(with abject apologies to Robert E. Howard)

Here we are again, a year later than the last DMR Books Guest Bloggerama. Robert M. Price reprised his (somewhat) habitual role as cleanup hitter, thus ending this year’s run. The 'killer elite' from the last four years--Brian Murphy, Daniel J. Davis, Chris L. Adams and Robert M. Price, is nearly the same. Al Harron dropped out, but it looks like we might have something interesting from ol' Alexander later this year, so that sorta makes up for it.

Some returnees include Jim Cornelius--my sword-brother from The Cimmerian blog--and Christopher Chupik, who once again delivered a great book review.

Overall, I have to rate this year's Guest Bloggerama as being the strongest in the last four years. The original 2019 DMR Books Blog Guest Bloggerama was cooked up by Dread Editor, Dave Ritzlin, and yours truly in late 2018 to commemorate the first full year of the DMR Books blog. Since 2019, we've featured Bloggerama entries by bloggers of wide renown along with those--at least then--of lesser repute. Everybody stepped up this year. Y’all are my brothers, be ye never so vile.

I have to say that this year’s Bloggerama was more difficult for me than previous years. Between work and family—plus having to cut way more firewood due to this January’s cold winter—the whole thing was more arduous—if no less satisfying. One casualty was my commenting on posts. On any given day, I was doing well to write my own post or advise/wrangle some guest poster. Now, at this point, I have commented upon every guest blogger’s post as well as many of my own. I don’t note this to get extra clicks, but simply to let all bloggers concerned know that I have commented.

For those DMR Books Blog readers who might have missed out on some of this year’s Bloggerama posts, you will find below the 2022 Roll Call of Honor. Every guest blogger is listed—with hyperlinks to each post—from first to last.

Matthew Ilseman — Lamb and Howard: A Comparison

Stan Wagenaar — The Sword and the Sorcerer

Matthew Pungitore — Reviewing J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Schalken the Painter”; Cruelty Drives Onward

Brian Murphy — Starting 2022 with Michael Moorcock’s The Swords Trilogy

Charles R. Rutledge — Big John Buscema’s Conan

Matthew Knight — A Karnov Interrogation

Richard Fisher — REVIEW: Blood on the Blade

Ken Lizzi — Rex Stout, Fantastic Adventure Novelist

Chris L. Adams — Klarkash-ton and Monstro Ligriv – A Gerry de la Ree Tour de Force

Christopher Conlon — Edgar in the Air: Poe and America’s Golden Age of Radio

Doug Ellis — Merritt in Japan

C.L. Werner — Buchan and the Picts